is tiramisu supposed to float?
Dawn
Bear with me here, I've never had this dessert, but I heard so much
about it, and it sounded so good, I had to make one.
I looked up some recipes and compared them with the one on the cookie
packet and they all seemed to be very similar, so I was pretty sure I
wasn't going to end up with anything too strange.
I got the cookies --ladyfingers -- dipped in coffee and the eggs whipped
into meringue, and the mascarpone coffee cream made and everything
layered according to directions and into the fridge it went to chill for
an hour and ahalf, maybe an hour forty.
At which point I pull it out and what I have is cookies floating in a
thin cream sauce. Somehow I thought I was going to have more of a
custard based item here.
We tried some and it tasted darn good but the ladyfingers were kind of
firm and hard to cut through, and my husband suggested that if it sat
longer they would soak up more of the cream and soften up. So I put a
plate on it and weighed it down with the bowl of whipped cream I had
made for topping, and left it overnight.
Now the ladyfingers have soaked up the cream sauce, and what I have is a
bowl of very soggy coffee flavored cookies.
Is this what I was supposed to get? With the eggs and cream I was
expecting something more like a pudding than a moist cake. It tastes
great, but I'm not sure I did this right.
Dawn
pjw
Paul
Goomba
> Is this what I was supposed to get? With the eggs and cream I was
> expecting something more like a pudding than a moist cake. It tastes
> great, but I'm not sure I did this right.
> Dawn
You cooked the custard, right?? I've never had it float. It's always
been thick layers of creamy wonderfulness. Here is the recipe I really
like-how does this compare to your recipes process?
* Exported from MasterCook *
Tiramisu Italiano
Recipe By : Tyler Florence; FoodTV show "Food 911"
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :1:00
Categories : Desserts Italian
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sweet marsala, plus 2 Tablespoons
8 ounces mascarpone cheese -- softened room temp
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup brewed espresso coffee
1 ounce dark chocolate
1/4 cup rum
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
48 ladyfinger cookies
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Cream together egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of
simmering water. Add 1/3 cup of the marsala and continue to whisk until
mixture is thick and doubled in volume. This is basically a zabaglione.
Remove from heat. Stir in the mascarpone until completely blended.
In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped
cream into the mascarpone mixture, to lighten.
In a small saucepan, combine espresso, chocolate, rum, vanilla, and
remaining 2 tablespoons marsala. Heat gently, and stir to dissolve the
chocolate. Then, chill the mixture to cool it down, about 15 minutes.
Quickly dip each ladyfinger in the chilled coffee mixture and arrange in
a single layer on a 9 by 13-inch glass baking pan. Do not soak the
cookies or they will become too moist. Spread 1/2 the mascarpone cream
evenly with a spatula on top of the dipped ladyfingers. Repeat with a
second layer of dipped ladyfingers and remaining mascarpone cream.
Sprinkle top with cocoa powder. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Rick & Cyndi
"Dawn" <d.dup...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:3ED669DB...@aol.com...
:
: Bear with me here, I've never had this dessert, but I heard so much
=========
Dawn,
Mine never floated but... I don't use Lady Fingers in mine, either. I
make the "cake" portion in lieu of the Lady Fingers.
Here is the recipe that I use and it has worked excellently everytime!
TIRAMISU
Cake:
1/4 c Butter
1/4 c Milk
2 Eggs
3/4 c Sugar
3/4 c Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Vanilla
3/4 c hot STRONG Coffee
1 TBSP sugar
Topping:
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
1/3 c powdered Sugar
2 TBSP Marsala wine or Dark Rum
2 c Whipping Cream
Grated semi-sweet Chocolate (1/2 oz)
Heat oven to 375 F. Spray 13 x 9 pan with nonstick cooking spray. In
small saucepan or 2-cup micro-safe measuring cup, heat butter and milk
until steaming hot (about 1 minute on HIGH).
Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat eggs at high speed until light.
Gradually beat in 3/4 c sugar; beat an additional 2 minutes.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking
powder, salt, vanilla, and hot milk mixture; beat at low speed until
smooth. Pour into sprayed pan.
Bake at 375 F. for 14-16 minutes or until cake springs back when
touched lightly in center. In 1-cup measuring cup, combine coffee and
1 TBSP sugar; mix well. Drizzle over warm cake. Cool 30 minutes or
until completely cool.
In large bowl, combine cream cheese and mascarpone cheese; beat at
medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in powdered sugar and
wine. Set aside.
In another large bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
Fold into cream cheese mixture until combined. Spread evenly on cake.
Sprinkle grated chocolate over top of cake. Cover; refrigerate at
least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, cut into squares. Store in
refrigerator.
15 Servings @ 350 cal (240 are fat); 4 g protein, 21 g carbs ( 20 %
Vitamin A, 8 % Calcium and 4 % Iron - see, it's good for you!! )
Robert Klute
It should be a thick creamy foam. The ladyfingers get soaked in the
espresso. The whipped egg yolks get mixed with the marscapone and that
mixture gets FOLDED into the whipped egg whites. You then make layers
out of the soaked lady fingers and the egg/cheese mixture. If you made
a coffee cream, that might be your mistake.
Have a look at this sight: http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com/
Check the various pages, you will see several pictures of whole
tiramisus and slices, for reference.
>
>
>
>Dawn
Archon
Dawn wrote:
> Is this what I was supposed to get? With the eggs and cream I was
> expecting something more like a pudding than a moist cake. It tastes
> great, but I'm not sure I did this right.
I've never had it float, but I've had it be too thin. Ladyfingers are
supposed to get soft with the strong coffee (mixed with the liqour you
choose - e.g. cognac, rum, kahlua, or marsala) you dip them in or pour
over them. There are 3 ways to make the custard thicker:
1. Cheat: Gelatine - naughty solution!
2. Quite yummy but it makes the taste a little bland: Fold whipped cream
into the custard, and let it set in the fridge.
3. Cook the custard - egg yolks makes it thick - like creme brulee.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Nielsen
M.Sc.EE
Music: http://mp3.com/archon2
Website: http://www.archonia.dk
Dave Smith
It should not be soupy. The filling should have a smooth texture, not hard,
and certainly not soupy. When I make it, I beat the eggs with a bit of
Marsala in it until foamy and then put it on a medium burner and heat it
up, while whisking. until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. While the egg
mixture cools, I whip the cream until it is nice and thick and then beat the
marsapone cheese with some grated lemon rind. The next step is to dip the
lady fingers in the coffee and marsala. It is important to just dip them. Do
not let them get too wet, or else they will get too soggy. Put a layer of
lady fingers on the bottom of the pan, coer with half the filling and top
with grated chocolate. Lay down a second layer of the dipped lady fingers,
the rest of the filling and top with more grated chocolate or cocoa powder.
It should sit in the fridge for at least four hours to set.
Nexis
Dawn,
it's hard to tell what went wrong without seeing the actual recipe, and the
techniques used. That being said I can tell you a few things about Tiramisu.
It's a layered thing, you know :)
Let me describe it:
Delicate lady fingers, also known as Savoiardi, are dipped brieflly in the
espresso syrup. I make espresso, but some folks use strong coffee. TO it I
add sugar (though these days I use Splenda) and a bit of kahlua. Once
chilled for a time after assembly they will have a nice soft texture, and be
very flavorful, despite starting out so crisp.
In alternating layers are the mascarpone cream. Recipes abound. Myself, I
make a custard similar to a zabaglione, and wisk it into the softened
mascarpone along with a shot of kahlua. Then I whip the cream and combine it
with the mascarpone mixture. It should be thick enough so when you draw a
spoon through it, the shape stays. Don't worry, it will still be very light.
Here's how the assembly goes:
Dip the ladyfinger, count 2 and flip, repeat. Don't leave it any longer or
the bottom of your serving dish will be a lake of espresso. Lay the dipped
savoiardi in your chosen serving dish until the bottom is covered. Spread
with a layer of the mascarpone cream. Repeat, ending with the cream. Top
with either a sprinkling of good quality cocoa through a seive, or, as I
prefer, with some very finely grated (I use a microplane grater) bittersweet
chocolate.
Hope this helps
kimberly
Dawn
Goomba wrote:
>
> You cooked the custard, right?? I've never had it float. It's always
> been thick layers of creamy wonderfulness. Here is the recipe I really
> like-how does this compare to your recipes process?
Yup, cooked the eggs as below. I've done custards and hollandaise before
with great success, so I know I got the eggs right. My recipe was for a
smaller quantity, but similar. I don't have the cookie packet any more,
but it was very close to this one, without the chocolate:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_16808,00.html
>
> Cream together egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of
> simmering water. Add 1/3 cup of the marsala and continue to whisk until
> mixture is thick and doubled in volume. This is basically a zabaglione.
> Remove from heat.
Lacking marsala I substituted 3T of dark spiced rum, which I actually
put in the coffee.
>Stir in the mascarpone until completely blended.
I used some of the coffee-rum mixture to soften the mascarpone, which
was quite stiff, even after sitting at room temp for a while.
>
> In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped
> cream into the mascarpone mixture, to lighten.
My recipe called for egg whites (meringue) at this point, not whipped
cream.
>
> Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Mine suggested one hour. It required more like 12 before it could be
served without a fight.
After the one hour my egg yolk/ mascarpone/ meringue mixture had
completely deflated from a fluffy creamy mix to a thin one, about like
heavy cream.
Dawn
cristina
"Dawn" <d.dup...@aol.com> wrote in message > After the one hour my egg
yolk/ mascarpone/ meringue mixture had
> completely deflated from a fluffy creamy mix to a thin one, about like
> heavy cream.
It probably was the egg whites and possibly you soaked the lady fingers for
too long. I don't use beaten whites, just one white to loosen the
mascarpone/yolk/sugar mixture a bit.
Cristina
Archon
cristina wrote:
>
> It probably was the egg whites and possibly you soaked the lady fingers for
> too long. I don't use beaten whites, just one white to loosen the
> mascarpone/yolk/sugar mixture a bit.
I don't use whites at all.
Goomba
>
> Goomba wrote:
> >
> > You cooked the custard, right?? I've never had it float. It's always
> > been thick layers of creamy wonderfulness. Here is the recipe I really
> > like-how does this compare to your recipes process?
>
> Yup, cooked the eggs as below. I've done custards and hollandaise before
> with great success, so I know I got the eggs right.
I can only suggest you try again, using another recipe. I *seriously*
enjoyed the one I posted so can highly recommend that one. Same
ladyfingers. Good luck
Goomba
Frogleg
Since everybody else has weighed in, I will say I'm suspicious of the
Ladyfinger "cookies," even with a Tiramisu recipe on the packet. I
haven't had any in some time, but as I recall (and the FoodTV
encyclopaedia has it), Ladyfingers are "A light, delicate sponge cake
roughly shaped like a rather large, fat finger." Your description of
"cookie" and "firm and hard to cut through" leads me to believe yours
were more the texture of biscotti, and, not soaking up much of the
moisture, might have been responsible for the floating effect.
Dawn
Frogleg wrote:
> Since everybody else has weighed in, I will say I'm suspicious of the
> Ladyfinger "cookies," even with a Tiramisu recipe on the packet. I
> haven't had any in some time, but as I recall (and the FoodTV
> encyclopaedia has it), Ladyfingers are "A light, delicate sponge cake
> roughly shaped like a rather large, fat finger." Your description of
> "cookie" and "firm and hard to cut through" leads me to believe yours
> were more the texture of biscotti, and, not soaking up much of the
> moisture, might have been responsible for the floating effect.
They were fairly firm and crisp, but not stale. I've never seen them
before and I did have to drive all over town to find them.
Are they supposed to be soft and cake-like out of the package?
Dawn
Archon
Dawn wrote:
>
> They were fairly firm and crisp, but not stale. I've never seen them
> before and I did have to drive all over town to find them.
>
> Are they supposed to be soft and cake-like out of the package?
Mine are like a somewhat stale sponge cake (my sponge cake recpe makes
them very soft). But they do suck up a lot of fluid. They are not
crunchy, but stiff enough to hold their shapes.
Frogleg
<sequoia@NO_SPAM.tiscali.dk> wrote:
>
>
>Dawn wrote:
>>
>> They were fairly firm and crisp, but not stale. I've never seen them
>> before and I did have to drive all over town to find them.
>>
>> Are they supposed to be soft and cake-like out of the package?
>
>Mine are like a somewhat stale sponge cake (my sponge cake recpe makes
>them very soft). But they do suck up a lot of fluid. They are not
>crunchy, but stiff enough to hold their shapes.
That sounds about right. A little 'crust' on the outside of the
commercial products, but soft cake inside.
Dawn, give it another shot. I don't know why your Mascarpone was so
firm at room temperature that you had to add liquid to make it whisk
(although "room temperature" in my winter kitchen is enough to keep
butter very firm). Most of the recipes I looked up after seeing this
thread didn't mention cooking any of the ingredients (which *would*
dry/firm them somewhat). If I could find either ladyfingers or
marscarpone locally, I'd be tempted to try it out,
Doug Weller
>
>They were fairly firm and crisp, but not stale. I've never seen them
>before and I did have to drive all over town to find them.
>
>Are they supposed to be soft and cake-like out of the package?
There are two kinds of ladyfingers. In the US you can buy soft ones like
sponge cake fingers. I think I used to buy them at bakeries, but that was
decades ago.
The other kind, which is the kind we get in the UK, sometimes made in
Italy, are much crisper and firmer -- and come in packs.
These do work but obviously need soaking.
I'm not sure what went wrong with your tiramisu but I doubt it was the
ladyfingers. By the way, you don't mention Marsala, you did use Marsala
didn't you?
Doug
--
Doug Weller -- exorcise the demon to reply
Doug & Helen's Dogs http://www.dougandhelen.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.demon.co.uk
Doug Weller
involve cooking both warn against saturating the ladyfingers.
I'm surprised, none of them use marsala!
Italian 'ladyfingers' are savoiardi. About.com says:
"Savoiardi are a Piemontese specialty that resemble lady fingers, though
they're about twice as thick. In addition to being eaten as is, they
figure prominently in many desserts, including puddings and tiramisu. If
you buy them in the store, be sure they're fresh because their shelf life
is limited. They shouldn't be soft. "
Sounds like the ones you used.
I like mine without coffee. Evidently it is eaten at breakfast time in
Italy sometimes -- but after all, the name means 'Pick me up'!
I found this about its history:
http://www.pastrywiz.com/season/tira1.htm
Nora Ephron's Tiramisu
Susan's Tiramisu
Tiramisu
* Exported from MasterCook *
Nora Ephron's Tiramisu
Recipe By :Christie Aspegren
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Italian
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 eggs
1/2 cup brandy
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 package ladyfinger cookies -- stale
1/2 cup espresso coffee
2 ounces semisweet chocolate squares -- grated
Separate eggs into two bowls. Blend liquor into yolks; blend in
mascarpone. Beat eggs whites into soft peaks; beat in sugar a bit at a
time until stiff peaks form. Blend half of egg whites with cheese
mixture; fold in remaining whites. Set aside.
Dip ladyfingers into espresso; don.t saturate. Place in shallow dish.
Add half of cheese mixture; smooth. Cover top with half of chocolate.
Add layer of espresso-coated ladyfingers; top with remaining cheese.
Smooth; cover with remaining chocolate. Cover. Refrigerate overnight.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 274 Calories; 20g Fat (72.0%
calories from fat); 4g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber;
118mg Cholesterol; 45mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean
Meat; 4 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
* Exported from MasterCook *
Susan's Tiramisu
Recipe By :Susan Aaronson
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Italian
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
15 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 cups heavy cream -- whipped stiff
SOAKING MIXTURE:
2 cups coffee -- strong, cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua
1/4 cup Rum
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
24 ladyfinger cookies
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate -- chopped
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light in color and the batter
forms a `ribbon' when the beater is lifted and the batter doesn't `plop'
off the beater but rather falls back on itself in a ribbon. Add the
mascarpone, beating well and then the heavy cream. Put in the
refrigerator.
Soaking: Mix the coffee, sugar and liqueurs together until sugar is
dissolved. Pour half of the mascarpone mixture into a large bowl. Dip 1
ladyfinger at a time into the coffee mixture until thoroughly moistened
but not dripping. If you allow the ladyfingers to absorb too much of the
coffee mixture, they will exude their liquid into the cream layer and the
cream will be watery. Cover the entire surface of the cream layer with
the dipped ladyfingers. Pour the remaining mascarpone mixture over the
ladyfingers, smoothing with a spatula. Chop some bittersweet chocolate
into medium/small chunks and sprinkle over the top of the dessert.
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, overnight is best. Serve cold.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 571 Calories; 39g Fat (63.7%
calories from fat); 7g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 325mg
Cholesterol; 75mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0
Non-Fat Milk; 7 1/2 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 2130706543 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
* Exported from MasterCook *
Tiramisu
Recipe By :Christie Aspegren
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Italian
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
6 ounces ladyfinger cookies
Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler and beat with an
electric mixer at medium speed until thick and lemon colored.
Bring water in the bottom of the double boiler to a boil, reduce it to low
and cook the lemon-colored mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat, add mascarpone and beat until smooth.
Combine water, coffee powder and brandy; brush the mixture lightly on the
ladyfingers. Line the sides and the bottom of a trifle bowl or 3-quart
souffle dish with ladyfingers and pour in 1/2 of the filling. Layer
remaining ladyfingers on top and cover with remaining filling. Garnish
if desired with whipped cream and grated unsweetened chocolate. Cover
and chill for 8 hours.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 408 Calories; 27g Fat (58.6%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber;
266mg Cholesterol; 54mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk;
5 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Doug Weller
http://www.dessertexperts.com/
Tiramisu: An Ever-Evolving 'Pick-Me-Up'
Tiramisu has become a dessert staple at a variety of restaurants,
including The Cheesecake Factory. The 52-unit chain offers to its diners —
what else? — tiramisu cheesecake.
By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh
Tiramisu, a light, espresso-kissed, layered custard created centuries ago
for royal Roman courts, has become a dessert staple at Italian restaurants
across America.
It's so popular that it's even spurred fan clubs across the country, where
devotees log on to dish the best versions nationwide, on such Web sites as
"Tiramisu: Heaven In Your Mouth."
This airy confection — made with ladyfingers, espresso, liquor (usually
coffee liqueur, rum or Marsala wine), a hint of sugar and a whipped, airy
custard filling — has morphed a bit from its original design. The custard
has been replaced in recent years with a mixture of eggs and Mascarpone
cheese, a rich Italian triple-cream cheese, milked from special cows that
are fed only with grasses containing herbs and flowers.
And caffeine-laden tiramisu, which in English translates to "pick-me-up,"
continues to evolve today at the hands of pastry chefs throughout the
United States, who can't help but put their own creative spin on this
delicate perfection. Even among traditionalists, variations on the simple
yet elegant dessert abound — and in ways the ancient Romans never
imagined.
At Café Milano in South Norwalk, Conn., chef-owners Vito and Bethany Lee
Derario add a twist to traditional tiramisu with a hint of vanilla and a
trio of distinctive liqueurs. Yet Vito Derario, who hails from Milano,
also quickly pointed out: "I make the traditional tiramisu for my mother."
His revamped menu version, however, starts with Mascarpone cheese, eggs, a
teaspoon of vanilla extract and a dash of sugar, all mixed together in a
blender. He then makes espresso coffee and adds to it equal parts of
Kahlua, Frangelico and Tia Maria. He quickly dips ladyfingers, known in
Italy as "savoiardi," in and out of the espresso mixture — not to saturate
them but to add a hint of flavor — and lays them on a tray, layering the
Mascarpone mixture on top.
"It has to be nice and tight, not too juicy," Derario noted.
He then adds a second and third layer of ladyfingers and Mascarpone. Atop
the third layer, Derario spreads about a half-inch to a three-quarter-inch
layer of the Mascarpone mixture, then lets the dish rest overnight so the
layers bond and the flavors fuse.
"If we do it at noon today, we do not serve it until tomorrow," he said.
Before serving, Derario adorns the dish with a topping of Swiss chocolate
curls.
At Puttanesca in midtown Manhattan, the tiramisu is made with an authentic
recipe taken from the owners' native Naples: with ladyfingers, espresso,
Kahlua, Mascarpone cheese and a sprinkling of chocolate powder on top,
general manager Tom Bifulco said.
Except for the eggs, the dish is completely traditional, he noted,
explaining: "We use pasteurized eggs. In Italy everything is regular eggs.
But this is pretty authentic."
The eggs, he said, add a touch of fluff to the Mascarpone cheese filling
-- and texture is what a true, house-made tiramisu is all about.
"When we take the ladyfingers, we drench them in the espresso coffee and
Kahlua. That's the key," Bifulco added. "We don't do layered cake — it's
layered, but we saturate it; when you put your fork to it, it's a creamy
dessert, as opposed to a cake dessert, which is the real Capri style of
the Romans."
And the Romans really loved their tiramisu, Bifulco pointed out, relating
a bit of the dessert's more romantic history: in ancient Roman times,
tiramisu was considered "the sex dessert for all of the partyers that went
to Pompeii," according to Bifulco. Other folklore hails tiramisu as the
official snack of palace courtesans, who needed a quick "pick-me-up"
between royal customers.
Folklore aside, Bifulco said Puttanesca prefers to purchase, rather then
bake, their ladyfingers; this ensures the sponge-like Italian cookies will
be "nice and crisp," allowing them to better absorb the espresso and
Kahlua.
In the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C., chef-owner Luigi Diotaiuti
takes an homage to his favorite dessert a step further: he's actually
named his restaurant Al Tiramisu — a portent, perhaps, of what wonder lies
ahead after the main course is cleared away.
First and foremost, Diotaiuti said, his tiramisu is strictly traditional.
"I make espresso and put a little bit of rum in, just for flavor, then I
soak the ladyfingers in that. Sometimes you can use a very dry Marsala
instead of rum, but I find the balance of rum is just personal," explained
Diotaiuti, who was born in Basilicata in the south of Italy and grew up in
Tuscany. This past winter he served as head chef for Italian athletes,
media and dignitaries at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
"I would say, according to my opinion and my experience from what I saw
from the chefs in Italy, they all use either rum or dry Marsala,"
Diotaiuti explained.
Today, even some chain restaurant companies have discovered the delights
of tiramisu. Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based The Cheesecake Factory serves
tiramisu at its 52 restaurants nationwide.
"Ours is nice and consistent," according to spokesman Howard Gordon. "It's
made traditionally. All of our desserts are handmade at our factory, then
shipped out around the country. We also have tiramisu cheesecake, which
also sells quite well."
The Cheesecake Factory's version of tiramisu starts with ladyfingers
soaked in Marsala wine and coffee liqueur, then adds in custard filling
that contains both Mascarpone and whipped cream. The dish is topped with
whipped cream and ground chocolate.
Then there's the "islands" version of tiramisu, as presented by executive
chef Tim Carney of Kahunaville Island Restaurant and Party Bar in
Cheektowaga, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo. Master chef Alfonse Contrisciani,
vice president of culinary operations for Kahunaville restaurants and a
three-time captain of the U.S. Culinary Olympic Team, skewed the dessert
toward the chain's American/Caribbean/Asian-influenced menu.
"It's more of a tropical version, not your traditional tiramisu," Carney
explained. This family-friendly version contains no liquor. Instead of
ladyfingers, Kahunaville uses lemon-citrus cake, and the cheesy filling is
mixed with raspberries and blackberries. Whipped cream and strawberry
sauce top it off.
Diotaiuti, the traditionalist, said he likes to experiment with flavors in
his tiramisu as well but stressed that he also knows when to leave a good
dish alone.
"You cannot make a Mercedes into a Toyota or a Chevrolet; it's a classic,
great car. Why try to change it into something else?" Diotaiuti mused.
"That's the way it is with tiramisu: it's so great the way it is. Why
change it?"
"If you make some modification, you have to call it something else," he
added.
Other pastry chefs try adding just a touch of flair to their tiramisu by
resting a fresh strawberry on top or substituting genoise or plain sponge
cake for ladyfingers or simply by altering the presentation.
At Chateau Hathorn, a family-run fine-dining venue west of Manhattan in
Warwick, N.Y., pastry chef Andreas Zueger plates his traditional tiramisu
recipe in individual glass bowls, sometimes substituting pound cake for
ladyfingers, general manager Kit Sherwood said. The dish is no longer a
menu staple, but it remains a special addition a few times a year,
Sherwood said. Yet the restaurant does get special requests for it.
"I had a bride who wanted it as a wedding cake once," Sherwood added.
Then there are those pastry chefs whose passion for tiramisu is beyond
putting into words. A spokesman for a popular Italian restaurant in
Tuckahoe, N.Y., says his family-run business makes two versions of
tiramisu: one with espresso only and another with espresso and Amaretto
liqueur. Yet he declined to reveal the restaurant, the chef or details of
the recipe "because it's a close-held family secret."
Fortunately for generations of tiramisu fans, the ancient Romans did not
feel the same way.
Goomba
> The other kind, which is the kind we get in the UK, sometimes made in
> Italy, are much crisper and firmer -- and come in packs.
>
> These do work but obviously need soaking.
They are available in the US too.. same ones from Italy. No they don't
require soaking at all (well, not more than the 2 seconds it takes on
each side to expose them to the espresso mix) And they soften up
wonderfully and don't get overly soggy as long as you don't mistake them
for requiring "soaking".
Goomba
Dave Smith
> The other kind, which is the kind we get in the UK, sometimes made in
> Italy, are much crisper and firmer -- and come in packs.
>
> These do work but obviously need soaking.
Dipping, not soaking. I can tell you from experience that soaking them,
dipping them long enough to soak them, or drizzling extra coffee on them with
result in them getting mushy. A quick dip is all they need, and they will
soften a little more while the Tiramisu sits in the fridge.
Doug Weller
>Doug Weller wrote:
>
>> The other kind, which is the kind we get in the UK, sometimes made in
>> Italy, are much crisper and firmer -- and come in packs.
>>
>> These do work but obviously need soaking.
>
>Dipping, not soaking.
Yes, sorry, I don't soak them, I'm not sure why I said that. I do give
them a good dip though.
Dawn
Doug Weller wrote:
>
> The other kind, which is the kind we get in the UK, sometimes made in
> Italy, are much crisper and firmer -- and come in packs.
That's what I got. They were made in Italy and packed in groups of 5
within the larger package. They had a light sugar crust on one side.
> I'm not sure what went wrong with your tiramisu but I doubt it was the
> ladyfingers. By the way, you don't mention Marsala, you did use Marsala
> didn't you?
No, I don't have Marsala and I don't think I'm up for buying a whole
bottle for one recipe. :)
I used a mixture of strong coffee and spiced rum to dip the ladyfingers
in. I think next time I need more coffee to moisten them with, though.
Dawn
nits...@gmail.com
jmcquown
replying to something from 2003? I wouldn't expect an answer.
Jill
Ophelia
Goomba hasn't posted here in years. Did you even notice you were
replying to something from 2003? I wouldn't expect an answer.
Jill
Blimey I hadn't thought of her in ages. Is she another one who has gone to
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk
Ophelia
replying to something from 2003? I wouldn't expect an answer.
Jill
Incidentally are you sure nitskirk hadn't read the recipe and was just
asking advice about it?
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk
jmcquown
> "jmcquown" wrote in message news:o8sism$ut0$1...@dont-email.me...
>
> Goomba hasn't posted here in years. Did you even notice you were
> replying to something from 2003? I wouldn't expect an answer.
>
> Jill
>
> =====
>
> Incidentally are you sure nitskirk hadn't read the recipe and was just
> asking advice about it?
>
regular on this ng. Neither is Goomba, anymore.
I don't have any suggestions about a problem with floating lady fingers
in tirimisu. I do like tirimisu, although I've only eaten it once at an
Italian restaurant. I've never made it.
Jill
Ophelia
On 2/25/2017 3:22 PM, Ophelia wrote:
> "jmcquown" wrote in message news:o8sism$ut0$1...@dont-email.me...
>
> Goomba hasn't posted here in years. Did you even notice you were
> replying to something from 2003? I wouldn't expect an answer.
>
> Jill
>
> =====
>
> Incidentally are you sure nitskirk hadn't read the recipe and was just
> asking advice about it?
>
Of course I'm not sure. I'm only sure the person who inquired isn't a
regular on this ng. Neither is Goomba, anymore.
I don't have any suggestions about a problem with floating lady fingers
in tirimisu. I do like tirimisu, although I've only eaten it once at an
Italian restaurant. I've never made it.
Jill
No, I've never made it either so I couldn't help:(
I sometimes feel sorry for those who respond to long ago messages. I doubt
very much they realise it.
--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk
Dave Smith
> Of course I'm not sure. I'm only sure the person who inquired isn't a
> regular on this ng. Neither is Goomba, anymore.
>
> I don't have any suggestions about a problem with floating lady fingers
> in tirimisu. I do like tirimisu, although I've only eaten it once at an
> Italian restaurant. I've never made it.
screw up really badly. There are a thousand recipes. Some use raw eggs
while others us custard or zambaglione. You can use any of a number of
liquors, like rum, Tia Maria, brandy, Amoretto, Frnajelico....
However, it is important when dipping the lady fingers in the espresso
(with or without alcoholic fortification), that you dip them quickly.
You just want a little of the moisture and flavour. They will soften in
the filling.
That being said, I once had a horrible horrible Tiramisu in a
restaurant. They cheap bastards that ran the place took every cheap
short cut they could when they made it. They could have got away with
the roll cake type of cake instead of lady fingers. Pastry cream was a
poor substitute for the zambaglione and whipped cream, but then they
totally destroyed it when they used artificial rum flavouring. It was
horrible.